Stationary suction systems are normally used in the medical field to aspirate body fluids from body cavities or wounds. These suction systems basically comprise a suction source, in particular a vacuum pump, a fluid or secretion collection container, a surge tank arranged therebetween, and connection lines, in particular a drainage or secretion line leading from the patient to the fluid collection container, a connection line leading from the collection container to the surge tank, and a vacuum line connecting the surge tank to the suction source.
For the purposes of the healing process, it has now been found to be important for the patient to be able to move about unaided and leave bed as soon as possible. For this reason, portable suction systems have become known, which are used for the most part in wound drainage. WO 2007/128156 discloses a portable suction pump unit of this kind. It has a housing, with a pump unit arranged therein, and a fluid collection container. This container is connected releasably to the housing by being swiveled into and held in corresponding guides of two protruding side walls of the housing. A drainage hose, with its patient-side end designed as an adapter, can be plugged into the housing and thus connected to the fluid collection container.
Appliances of this type have proven useful in practice. Specialists in this field have been working specifically on creating a pump which is as small as possible, compact and quiet and can be used for a large number of applications, and which should also be easy to operate.
However, no practical solution is available to patients from whom body fluids are to be aspirated from different sites. If a single pump is used with a branched hose, there is an increased risk of the hose becoming blocked in the area of the Y-shaped connector piece. If several appliances are used, this increases the costs of treatment, and the nursing personnel have to operate and monitor a large number of appliances.